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Intelligence/IQ/GRE by academic field
- Post author:Emil O. W. Kirkegaard
- Post published:30. July 2013
- Post category:Differential psychology/psychometrics/Education/intelligence / IQ / cognitive ability
Data are based on GRE averages. Data from here: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/01/classicists-are-smart/
I have sorted them for Average-SDU, i.e. estimatedg (intelligence). As a funny note, top 10 includes 5 different physics fields. #11 is also physics…
Data file here:IQ data by academic field GRE
Illustrations from the same source.
| Field | V-mean | M-mean | V-SDU | M-SDU | Average-SDU | Difference-SDU |
| Physics | 540 | 743 | 0.66 | 1.05 | 0.85 | -0.4 |
| Classical Language | 619 | 633 | 1.32 | 0.32 | 0.82 | 0.99 |
| History of Science | 596 | 661 | 1.13 | 0.51 | 0.82 | 0.62 |
| Astrophysics | 540 | 727 | 0.66 | 0.95 | 0.8 | -0.29 |
| Mathematics | 523 | 740 | 0.51 | 1.03 | 0.77 | -0.52 |
| Atomic Physics | 522 | 739 | 0.5 | 1.03 | 0.77 | -0.52 |
| Solid State Physics | 514 | 743 | 0.44 | 1.05 | 0.74 | -0.62 |
| Biophysics | 523 | 727 | 0.51 | 0.95 | 0.73 | -0.43 |
| Classics | 609 | 616 | 1.24 | 0.21 | 0.72 | 1.02 |
| Planetary Science | 545 | 694 | 0.7 | 0.73 | 0.71 | -0.03 |
| Physics, Other | 519 | 723 | 0.48 | 0.92 | 0.7 | -0.44 |
| Philosophy | 591 | 630 | 1.08 | 0.3 | 0.69 | 0.78 |
| Astronomy | 525 | 706 | 0.53 | 0.81 | 0.67 | -0.28 |
| Materials Science | 509 | 728 | 0.39 | 0.95 | 0.67 | -0.56 |
| Chemistry, Physical | 513 | 708 | 0.43 | 0.82 | 0.62 | -0.39 |
| Nuclear Physics | 506 | 715 | 0.37 | 0.87 | 0.62 | -0.5 |
| Optics | 495 | 729 | 0.28 | 0.96 | 0.62 | -0.68 |
| Aerospace Engineering | 498 | 725 | 0.3 | 0.93 | 0.62 | -0.63 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 504 | 717 | 0.35 | 0.88 | 0.62 | -0.53 |
| Operations Research | 483 | 743 | 0.18 | 1.05 | 0.61 | -0.88 |
| Nuclear Engineering | 500 | 720 | 0.32 | 0.9 | 0.61 | -0.58 |
| Chemical Engineering | 490 | 729 | 0.24 | 0.96 | 0.6 | -0.72 |
| Economics | 508 | 707 | 0.39 | 0.81 | 0.6 | -0.43 |
| Russian | 584 | 611 | 1.03 | 0.18 | 0.6 | 0.85 |
| Applied Math | 487 | 730 | 0.21 | 0.97 | 0.59 | -0.76 |
| Linguistics | 566 | 630 | 0.87 | 0.3 | 0.59 | 0.57 |
| Probability & Stats | 486 | 728 | 0.2 | 0.95 | 0.58 | -0.75 |
| Neuroscience | 533 | 665 | 0.6 | 0.54 | 0.57 | 0.06 |
| Comp Lit | 591 | 588 | 1.08 | 0.03 | 0.56 | 1.06 |
| Chemistry, Inorganic | 502 | 690 | 0.34 | 0.7 | 0.52 | -0.37 |
| Ecology | 535 | 638 | 0.61 | 0.36 | 0.49 | 0.26 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 471 | 721 | 0.08 | 0.91 | 0.49 | -0.83 |
| Math, Other | 474 | 715 | 0.1 | 0.87 | 0.48 | -0.77 |
| Electrical Engineering | 465 | 722 | 0.03 | 0.91 | 0.47 | -0.89 |
| Finance | 466 | 721 | 0.03 | 0.91 | 0.47 | -0.87 |
| Geochemistry | 514 | 657 | 0.44 | 0.48 | 0.46 | -0.05 |
| Actuarial Science | 460 | 726 | -0.02 | 0.94 | 0.46 | -0.96 |
| Chemistry, Organic | 490 | 683 | 0.24 | 0.66 | 0.45 | -0.42 |
| Computer Engineering | 465 | 716 | 0.03 | 0.87 | 0.45 | -0.85 |
| Cognitive Psychology | 532 | 627 | 0.59 | 0.28 | 0.44 | 0.3 |
| Chemistry, Gen | 483 | 681 | 0.18 | 0.64 | 0.41 | -0.47 |
| Atmospheric Science | 490 | 673 | 0.24 | 0.59 | 0.41 | -0.35 |
| Geophysics | 487 | 676 | 0.21 | 0.61 | 0.41 | -0.4 |
| Paleontology | 531 | 621 | 0.58 | 0.25 | 0.41 | 0.33 |
| Cell & Mol Bio | 497 | 658 | 0.29 | 0.49 | 0.39 | -0.2 |
| Biochemistry | 486 | 669 | 0.2 | 0.56 | 0.38 | -0.36 |
| Immunology | 492 | 662 | 0.25 | 0.52 | 0.38 | -0.26 |
| Civil Engineering | 456 | 705 | -0.05 | 0.8 | 0.38 | -0.85 |
| Quantitative Psychology | 515 | 629 | 0.45 | 0.3 | 0.37 | 0.15 |
| Genetics | 496 | 651 | 0.29 | 0.44 | 0.36 | -0.16 |
| Botany | 513 | 626 | 0.43 | 0.28 | 0.35 | 0.15 |
| Computer Science | 453 | 702 | -0.08 | 0.78 | 0.35 | -0.86 |
| Music History | 536 | 596 | 0.62 | 0.08 | 0.35 | 0.54 |
| Chemistry, Other | 477 | 659 | 0.13 | 0.5 | 0.31 | -0.37 |
| Theology | 537 | 583 | 0.63 | -0.01 | 0.31 | 0.64 |
| Meteology | 470 | 663 | 0.07 | 0.52 | 0.3 | -0.46 |
| International Relations | 531 | 588 | 0.58 | 0.03 | 0.3 | 0.55 |
| European History | 554 | 555 | 0.77 | -0.19 | 0.29 | 0.97 |
| Geology | 495 | 625 | 0.28 | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.01 |
| Social Psychology | 518 | 594 | 0.47 | 0.07 | 0.27 | 0.4 |
| Zoology | 505 | 609 | 0.36 | 0.17 | 0.26 | 0.2 |
| Develop Bio | 490 | 623 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.25 | -0.02 |
| Entomology | 505 | 606 | 0.36 | 0.15 | 0.25 | 0.22 |
| Marine Biology | 499 | 611 | 0.31 | 0.18 | 0.24 | 0.13 |
| Creative Writing | 553 | 540 | 0.76 | -0.29 | 0.24 | 1.06 |
| Chemistry, Analytical | 464 | 652 | 0.02 | 0.45 | 0.23 | -0.43 |
| Environ Science | 493 | 615 | 0.26 | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.06 |
| Industrial Engineering | 426 | 699 | -0.3 | 0.76 | 0.23 | -1.06 |
| Anthropology | 532 | 562 | 0.59 | -0.15 | 0.22 | 0.73 |
| Political Science | 523 | 574 | 0.51 | -0.07 | 0.22 | 0.58 |
| Art history | 536 | 549 | 0.62 | -0.23 | 0.2 | 0.85 |
| Microbiology | 482 | 615 | 0.17 | 0.21 | 0.19 | -0.04 |
| Other Biology | 473 | 626 | 0.09 | 0.28 | 0.19 | -0.19 |
| Epidemiology | 485 | 610 | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.02 |
| American History | 533 | 541 | 0.6 | -0.28 | 0.16 | 0.88 |
| Biology | 477 | 606 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.14 | -0.02 |
| Toxicology | 465 | 610 | 0.03 | 0.17 | 0.1 | -0.15 |
| Petroleum Engineering | 414 | 676 | -0.4 | 0.61 | 0.1 | -1.01 |
| Computer Programming | 407 | 681 | -0.46 | 0.64 | 0.09 | -1.1 |
| Physiology | 464 | 606 | 0.02 | 0.15 | 0.08 | -0.13 |
| Drama | 514 | 541 | 0.44 | -0.28 | 0.08 | 0.72 |
| Chemistry, Pharm | 429 | 647 | -0.28 | 0.42 | 0.07 | -0.69 |
| Secondary Education | 484 | 576 | 0.18 | -0.05 | 0.07 | 0.24 |
| Pathology | 468 | 594 | 0.05 | 0.07 | 0.06 | -0.02 |
| Information Science | 446 | 621 | -0.13 | 0.25 | 0.06 | -0.38 |
| Pharmacology | 429 | 634 | -0.28 | 0.33 | 0.03 | -0.61 |
| Music History | 490 | 559 | 0.24 | -0.17 | 0.03 | 0.4 |
| Clinical Psychology | 484 | 554 | 0.18 | -0.2 | -0.01 | 0.38 |
| Developmental Psychology | 476 | 563 | 0.12 | -0.14 | -0.01 | 0.26 |
| Sociology | 490 | 541 | 0.24 | -0.28 | -0.02 | 0.52 |
| Psychology | 476 | 546 | 0.12 | -0.25 | -0.07 | 0.37 |
| Anatomy | 443 | 568 | -0.16 | -0.11 | -0.13 | -0.05 |
| Business Adminstraiton | 434 | 570 | -0.24 | -0.09 | -0.16 | -0.14 |
| Nursing | 452 | 531 | -0.08 | -0.35 | -0.22 | 0.27 |
| Communication | 458 | 517 | -0.03 | -0.44 | -0.24 | 0.41 |
| Nutrition | 432 | 542 | -0.25 | -0.28 | -0.27 | 0.03 |
| Elementary Education | 438 | 520 | -0.2 | -0.42 | -0.31 | 0.22 |
| Counseling Psychology | 444 | 500 | -0.15 | -0.56 | -0.35 | 0.41 |
| Community Psychology | 441 | 493 | -0.18 | -0.6 | -0.39 | 0.43 |
| Special Education | 424 | 497 | -0.32 | -0.58 | -0.45 | 0.26 |
| Early Childhood Education | 420 | 497 | -0.35 | -0.58 | -0.46 | 0.22 |
| Criminal Justice/Criminology | 418 | 477 | -0.37 | -0.71 | -0.54 | 0.34 |
| Social Work | 428 | 463 | -0.29 | -0.8 | -0.54 | 0.52 |
| Physical Education | 389 | 487 | -0.61 | -0.64 | -0.63 | 0.03 |


